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What would you do if you were listening to a homily during which the priest-homilist says, “My wife used to tell me…”? Well, that is exactly what this priest used to say so often during his homilies. Those who didn’t know about his fascinating journey to priesthood would giggle and look around, but that didn’t bother him.

Probo Vaccarini, an Italian born on 4 June 1919, studied mathematics. He joined the Italian army and, during World War II, fought in Russia. After the war, he became a surveyor. His friend, who had fought along with him in Russia, was a handsome guy and apparently had everything a young man would aspire for. But he always looked distressed, dejected and uninterested in anything. But, after some time, Probo was surprised to see him transformed—happy, cheerful and energetic. When Probo asked him for the secret, he told him about the confession he had made to Padre Pio, the Capuchin priest, who was immensely popular as a confessor and a spiritual guide—now  St Pio of Pietrelcina. The friend suggested that he too should go and meet the saintly Padre.

Probo followed his friend’s advice and went to meet Padre Pio. He was so impressed and touched that he made him his regular confessor. Once,   when Probo asked him what he should do with his life, Padre Pio told him he should get married and have a “big and holy family.”  An amused and puzzled Probo said, “Big is easy, but holy …?” When he met him again to tell him he still remained unmarried, Padre Pio told him to get moving.

Fr M A Joe Antony SJ

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At the recent consultation for the appointment of our new provincial, one of the questions that was asked was: “What qualities should the new provincial possess?”  One of the first qualities that was mentioned was this: “He should not only be good at animation but also at governance.”

What is governance? What does it imply?

During the discourse on Maundy Thursday Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  In this statement of Jesus, we have the three fundamental functions of the Church.  Jesus is the truth, and the Church has the duty to bring to the world his message of salvation.  Jesus is the life, and the Church has the mission to transmit grace through the sacraments.  Jesus is the way, and the Church has the responsibility to lead people to God.  These are the three functions of the Church: the function of teaching, sanctifying and governing (traditionally called, ecclesiastical powers or sacred powers).  These correspond to the three messianic offices of Jesus: Jesus the prophet, priest and shepherd (Lumen Gentium, n. 21:2).  While all the baptized share in these three functions, the superiors share in them in a way proper to their office, through the instrumentality of the Church (Canon 618-19).  Here we concern ourselves with the function of governing.

In general, governing means steering or directing a group of people.  More specifically, governing may be described as the process of pastorally managing and directing the people of God, in accordance with the power bestowed on the Church by Christ, for the attainment of their temporal welfare and their final end, which is eternal life.  Governing is the exercise of power or authority for realizing the goals of a congregation and the total well-being of its members.

Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil SDB

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Covid-19 has led to millions getting sick and hundreds of thousands dying  worldwide. The pandemic has led to significant increases in stress and anxiety, especially in the context of fear of being infected and in the face of an uncertain and unpredictable future. Social isolation, economic downturn, unemployment and poverty have taken a heavy toll on people’s wellbeing. A painful consequence of all this is an increase in mental illness.

Although mental illness is more visible and disconcerting during this distressing time, it is important to focus on mental health and wellbeing. Understanding it and looking at measures that foster it, can help us to avoid mental illness and help us cope with it better if we suffer from it.

Mental health is not just absence of mental illness. It is a state of holistic wellbeing, in which the mind, body and spirit function harmoniously and enables a person to live joyfully and productively, finding meaning and purpose in life. It is a state that enables us to thrive, to flourish, to live life to the full.

Graceful and Happy

This life to the full is especially characterized by healthy interpersonal relationships, playfulness and joy, a sense of contentment, capacity to adapt to change, and character virtues like love, hope, altruism, compassion, sensitivity, capacity to endure adversity, loss and suffering without being unduly distressed or disturbed, and resilience, that is, the capacity to bounce back from setbacks.

…….

FR JOSE PARAPPULLY SDB

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It is easier to define sickness than health. When someone says, “I have a toothache,” or “My left knee has a fracture,” we get the meaning. But how do we define health? It has so many aspects! From breathing and eating, to digestion and excretion, the flow of blood, our cholesterol and sugar levels, the condition of our brain, heart, lungs, intestines, kidneys and organs of reproduction. Most of the time, health is something we take for granted, isn’t it?

No one has perfect bodily health. We all have some minor aches and pains, but this does not mean we need hospitalization or major surgery, or are at the point of death.

All this goes for our mental health as well. When there is something wrong, e.g., when someone is often moody, or screaming at people for nothing, or gets panic attacks, we realize that something is wrong. But when we are able to function “normally,” we do not think about mental health, do we?

Four Aspects

To be mentally healthy means:

• That we manage our emotions well: We are normally happy and serene, not unduly angry or moody or swinging from one extreme to the other.
• That we can take correct decisions: The decisions we make in day-to-day matters prove to be correct. Examples: How we plan our work, spend our money, look after those in our care.

……

Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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My name is Sr Laisa. I am a religious for twenty-seven years.    Our new provincial has organised an ongoing formation programme during the summer vacation for two weeks concluding with one week’s retreat.  She has desired that all those who have completed twenty-five years or more are to attend this programme.  Right now, I am principal of a prestigious college. To be away for three weeks from the college is difficult for me. Despite my repeated requests, she has not exempted me.  As a principal, I get various opportunities to attend seminars, meetings, etc., and update myself. What is so extraordinary about such programmes?   

To answer your query, let us look into CIC canon 661: “Religious are to be diligent in continuing their spiritual, doctrinal and practical formation throughout their lives.  Superiors are to ensure that they have the assistance and the time to do this.”  Though there is no exact parallel canon in Oriental Canon Law, we read in CCEO canon 471§1, which deals with monasteries: “The manner of formation of members is to be determined in the typicon in such a way that they be permanently motivated to aim more fully toward holiness of life, as well as that their abilities be developed through the study of sacred doctrine and the acquisition of human culture in accordance with the needs of the time, and that they thereby become more adept in the arts and tasks which are legitimately undertaken by the monastery.” And the Directives on Formation in Religious institutes, Potissimum institutioni, numbers 67 to 71, deal with it extensively.

The responsibility for this ongoing formation is twofold: (i) the religious themselves must do what is necessary to renew and update themselves in spiritual, doctrinal and practical matters;

……..

Sr Licia SMI

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This year, perhaps more than ever, most of us are happy to put the past year behind us.  The coronavirus has been an obvious dark cloud that has hung over the whole world for most of the year. Marked by loss of fundamental freedoms, increasing divisiveness and widespread economic hardship, 2020 could easily be viewed as a disaster.  The tremendous increases in addictions, abuse and suicide provide stark testimony to the hardships faced by so many in dealing with the changes wrought by the coronavirus and our society’s efforts to control the spread of the illness.  As people of faith, we would be remiss in not taking at least one last long look back at 2020 to see how the Holy Spirit may have used this time of struggle to remind us of some very important and beautiful truths.

Limitations and Benefits

One of the first impressions I recall from the early days of the pandemic was that we would be moving into a period of profound change that might endure for a long time.  As government officials quickly imposed controls, we came to realize that we had two choices: we could resist those changes or we could acquiesce and seek to find joy in other ways.  As we faced lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, Crystal and I soon found ourselves enjoying the simplicity of daily life. Freed from the distractions of our self-imposed busyness, we had a chance to enjoy more time to ourselves, rekindling an intimacy that comes from spending more time with each other.  It was wonderful to sense a renewed awareness of the needs of the other and a fuller acceptance of each other’s, dare I say, idiosyncrasies.

…….

Kevin Sullivan

The provincial council was discussing the appointment of a new superior.  Among the candidates considered was also Fr. Anil.  He was very hard-working, intelligent, and generous.  But someone pointed out that he was also very “ambitious and power-hungry.”  So, he was not appointed.

Two words that we associate often with a superior’s role are power and authority.    Let us begin by examining power.

The word, “power” comes from the Latin “potere,” which means “to be able.”  Power, basically, is the ability or capacity to do things.  We may consider power both from a personal and interpersonal perspective.  Considered from the personal perspective, power is a person’s physical, intellectual or spiritual capacity to act.  From the interpersonal perspective power is the capacity to influence the behaviour of others.

Five Types of Power

Rollo May, an American psychologist, describes power, from the interpersonal perspective as “the ability to cause or prevent change.”  According to him, power in itself is neutral.  What makes it good or bad is the way it is exercised.

May distinguishes five types of power, depending on the way it is exercised….

Fr Jose Kuttianimattathil SDB

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The ‘candle’ for the first month of 2021 is someone whom God has brought in to heal a seriously wounded nation—a nation that could help or harm the entire world in many ways. The chosen healer is Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., or, more simply, Joe Biden, President-elect of the United States of America.

The most effective healers, we know, are wounded healers. They seek healing passionately, because they know what it means to be wounded.

Joe Biden’s father was a blue collar worker, cleaning furnaces and selling used cars. When Biden was a child, he struggled with a stutter. His classmates mocked him, calling him ‘Joe Impedimenta.’ But he memorized long poems and recited them standing in front of the mirror and eventually managed to overcome the problem. In order to afford the school fees, he cleaned the school windows and weeded the gardens. Therefore, unlike his predecessor—a  billionaire play boy—Biden understands the problems of the poor and the middle class.

Tragedies have taught him patience, hope and strength. He lost his son, Beau Biden, to brain cancer at the age of forty-six. What he suffered when Beau was a little boy looks like a poignant scene in a tragic movie….

Fr M A Joe Antony SJ

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Here are people around us—ordinary heroes—who show us what Christmas is all about. They have lit up many lives. May be, they can light up ours, too.

New Clothes or Charity?

Elsa—name changed—came for the wedding wearing an ordinary sari. Nothing fancy or new. Her relatives commented on this, since most were dressed in expensive clothes. They did not know the reason behind Elsa’s simple way of dressing.

She had made a choice—to give to charity the money she would have spent on a new dress. In fact, last month, she sent Rs 10,000 to a religious order, which was then able to pay that as monthly salary to a teacher.

What makes you happier—an expensive new dress or helping a needy person? What do you tend to do?

“Capuchin Mess”

Have you seen the YouTube video on Capuchin Mess, Kochi? If not, please have a look. The video is made by The Hindu newspaper. As you enter this small eatery, the first thing that strikes you is an old red Post Box.

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Within Church circles, there is a lot of confusion about the nature and function of a Society and Trust. There is also much confusion regarding the status and relationship between the Diocese or Congregation with a Society or Trust.

In this article, I shall deal with three issues: (1) What is a Society?  (2) What is a Trust? and (3) what is the relationship between Diocese or Congregation and the Society and Trust?

1. SOCIETY

A society is basically an ASSOCIATION of persons, who have come together with an intention of being associated with each other, in order to carry out some common objectives. When such an association is registered as a Society under the specific laws of the country, it attains the status of being called a Registered Society. The main characteristic of a society, then, is being an association of persons.

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